Expired
by HonoraAngel
Summary: Max dies and we find out how, but more importantly why.
1. Gone

**(A/N) Yeah!!! My first fanfic that I've published (but not that I've written)!!!!!!!! Don't worry, only this part is depressing.**

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We walked home in a daze. Our broken hearts ached too much to fly the short distance. Tears still poured down Gassy, Angel and Nudges cheeks. Iggy had dried tear marks going down his despairing face. I had refused to cry the entire time, but the unshed tears had been building and building, and it kept getting harder to keep them in. Finally, a single tear slipped out, and the wall so desperately holding everything back collapsed as warm, salty rivers flowed down my cheeks. This was the first time I had ever cried, but everyone was too wrapped up in their own pain and loss and misery to notice.

Because she was gone. Max was dead, barely left with a chance to say good bye in her dying moments. But let's go back to the beginning. When everything started to fall apart and Max finally started to die...

**(A/N) So, do you think I should continue? I have a whole bunch of great ideas for this story!!!!!**


	2. The Beginning of the End

**Okay, here's the first chapter. Little shout out to StupidIsMyMiddleName (my silly computer wouldn't let me reply): Aahhhh!! a spork!!!!**

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**MPOV**

I woke up to the sun rays floating through my open window. I could hear the sweet songs of the morning birds, i listened to the world as it woke up from a nice rest, the sounds of.... Gazzy and Iggy yelling? I listened harder.

"Fire! Fire! Gazzy set the bacon on fire!!!"

Well, if I wasn't awake already, I definitely was now. I leapt out of bed in my tank top and pajama pants and rushed down the hall to the kitchen. I was met with disaster. The kitchen was covered with flour. (Why they had needed flour for cooking bacon was anyone's guess.) Flames were jumping out of the pan as if. . . it was on fire. Iggy stood at the other end of the island, listening as Gazzy desperately dumped a bowl of water onto the flames. If there was anything I knew about fires, it was that you NEVER pour water onto a grease fire.

"Gazzy! Get the lid! Get the lid!" I yelled at him. He flailed around, looking for it, but it was too late. The fire was already spreading to the counter, threatening to corner him into into, "Dammit Gazzy, get out out there! You're gonna burn yourself!!!"

I ran over to the stove, shoving Gazzy away. I heard a soft thump as he hit the floor on the other side of the kitchen. The fire had splattered onto the floor when Gazzy had poured the water onto it. Flames flared on the linoleum floor. Mom was _so _gonna kill me.

I reached over the fire, feeling the heat of it pressing against my clothes. _ Don't touch the fire, don't touch the fire, don't touch the fire, _I prayed silently. I open the cabinet over next to the stove, pulling out the spice rack. I found the salt, fumbling with it as I opened the container and slopped the entire freaking canister of it onto the stove, counter and floor. Immediately the flames died down. And then my mom and the flock came down stairs. And then the fire alarm went off. Yeah, a little late for that.

I let out a deep breath. I had been awake for what, thirty seconds? And already my brain was on hyper alert and adrenaline coursed though my blood. I decided I would put my anger and jittery nerves to some good use. I turned to Gazzy.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE YOU THINKING!!!!!????" I glared at him through the thin smoke in the room. "You could've burned the house down! _You_ could have gotten burned!"

I looked menacingly at him, waiting for him to answer. Gazzy looked up at me, his eyes full of guilt, but I could also see his excitement at the fire, his thrill from it even though it was dangerous. That was the part of him that I was trying to get to. I glared at him, daring Gazzy to talk back. He looked down, ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Max. I won't do it again." I stared him down for what I though was a suitable amount of time before letting him go. Gazzy stumbled across the burnt, slippery floor to the rest of the flock behind me, hiding behind them.

I kept my back to the flock and turned to Iggy, standing awkwardly at the other end of the kitchen. He looked like he was waiting for me to say something. To just get the yelling over with. I stayed still, not moving a muscle, just staring daggers at him. He chewed his lip uncomfortably, probably wanting me to start talking to make him feel better. Not the words, but just the noise so he'd know I was there. Which was exactly why I didn't say a word, didn't move an inch.

I just kept staring.

He figeted.

I glowered.

He shuffled uncomfortably from side to side.

I mulled over how I was going to punish him.

He tapped his fingers nervously on his thigh.

I could almost hear the flocks' suppressed laughter, their tense and rigid bodies the only thing keeping it in.

"Well. . . " started Iggy. He made a move to go out the door behind him. Not so fast buster.

"Not another step, _Iggy_," I growled. He flinched back at the way I said his name, "What the heck were you doing letting an eight year old cook on a stove? Especially _that_ eight year old?" I thrust my hand behind me where Gazzy huddled in back of Nudge. I could almost see him wince at the mention of his name.

"Gazzy wanted me to teach him how to cook. . . " Iggy mumbled awkwardly, "I didn't think he would set the place on _fire_." I just glared at him, wondering how far up the list setting a house on fire was in order to get arrested. What to do, what to do. . . Brilliant! I looked up at Iggy.

"Okay," I said, all traces of anger gone from my voice. Iggy's head snapped up from where he was counting the tiles on the floor he couldn't see.

"wh-what?" He choked out. Probably wondering if I was just yanking his chain.

"I said 'okay.'" Geez, I thought I just aid that, "I understand. It was an accident." I heard gasps coming from the doorway. What, I was uncapable of being forgiving? Well, maybe. I leaned in closer to Iggy's ear so only he could hear me, "Just don't be alarmed if a little something jumps out and gets ya."

I heard him gulp as I turned away from him and went through the flock to the foyer, not meeting anyone's eyes. I grabbed my jacket and credit card and opened the front door, breathing in the sweet fresh air after all that smoke. Half way out, I turned and called back to everyone, who still hadn't moved from their spots by the kitchen, "You comin' to breakfast or what?"

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**Sorry, it would have been longer, but my computer shut down halfway through while i was typing this and deleted half my stuff, so i'll try to type it back up and post over the weekend. Thanks for reviewing!!!**


	3. Black Tattoo

**MPOV**

I flew off all of the morning's events. Which, now that I thought about it, only lasted about five minutes. I sighed and let the cool wind calm me down. I let the adrenaline coursing through my veins just leak out into oblivion. Ah, that was better, I focused just on breathing, the steady rhythm of the air going in and out. So calming, I could almost-

"MAX!!!!!!!!!" So much for calm. I was thrown out of my reverie, flailing to stay upright. I let my breathing calm back down before turning to her.

"Jeez Nudge, what is it?"

"Can we have Mickey D's for breakfast? I want, like two things of pancakes. Oooh!!!! And those hash brown things, you know, the ones with the fried potatoes. It's kinda like French fries, but yummier. Oh! Do they have apple tarts here? That would be, like soooooooo cool!!! Those things are AMAZIIIINNNNGGG!!!!" Nudge said, singing on the last word.

I looked down. We had been flying for about two minutes and we were passing over a small town somewhere to the north of Mom's- my- house. Hmmm… where to go, where to go… Then I saw it, the pride of the fast food industry.

"Okay! McDonalds it is!" I turned down slightly to dive and felt the others doing the same around me.

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**hehe. i love those lines!**

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**FPOV**

We walked into the greasy fast food joint and immediately I was overpowered with the stench of, well, grease and fast food. I tried not to breathe in too deeply. Max had gone with Nudge and Angel to order already, leaving me with Gazzy and Iggy who were tactfully staying out of her way.

"So, uh, Fang?" I looked down to see the Gasman tugging on my shirt. I nodded to him.

"Can I have two milkshakes? And, like, two things of eggs? And three cheeseburgers? Is that okay?" Gazzy looked at me anxiously. How was I supposed to know what was okay or not? That was Max's job. Why was he asking me?

But Max was still mad at Iggy and Gazzy, so now it was my job to keep them happy. Whoopdeedoo. I walked up to the line to order, the two boys flanking me. After a few minutes, I saw Max and the others leave the line with their food, about three spots ahead of me. Nudge and Angel went to get a table and Max headed off somewhere to get the drinks.

I watched Max from my place in line as her golden ringlets of hair fell across her face. She blew them away absentmindedly, filling the cups to the brim with soda. As she finished getting the straws, a little girl tugged the hem of Max's jacket. She was about five years old, by the looks of it, her blue and white-spotted dress bouncing as she walked. Her blond hair, more of a pastelly color than Angel's was tied back with ribbons into two little pigtails.

I have to admit, she was pretty cute.

Max instantly tensed. I could almost hear her mentally reviewing escape routes, finding all the exits, making sure we were all there out of habit, all in the split second it took for her to look down. Max's face instantly softened when she saw the adorable little girl, smiling endearingly up at her. In fact, Max even let a smile touch her own face as she bent down to say hi.

They talked briefly, though there was too much noise around me to make out what they said. All was going well until, all at once, a look of pure shock and disbelief crossed Max's face and the little girl had to leave. Max ran off to the bathroom, leaving me wondering what the heck that brown eyed child had told her.

"Next!"

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**MPOV**

"Hewo there," said a cute little voice out of nowhere. I looked down to find a cute little girl pulling on the hem of my jacket. She was maybe four or five years old, standing only a little taller that my knees. I bent down to be more level with her, looking into her deep, brown eyes, sparkling with animation.

"My name is Karissity. What's yours?" I was a little startled by this question. Who is she working for? Are there more of them? Here? My thoughts of embellishment were completely erased when I looked back into her innocent eyes. Of course not. She was just a cute little girl with a bit of curiosity. What do I have to worry?

"My name is Max. You have a very pretty name, Karissity." I smiled at her. She was so sweet.

"Thank you, Macks. I realwy wike my name. I'm named after my gwandmother," she said endearingly. We talked for a few minutes about her cat and her kindergarten class and how she couldn't find the chocolate milk this morning.

Karissity looked around the small eatery.

"Oh! There's my mudder **(mother) **! I think I hafta go soon." Then she cocked her head to the side and looked at me strangely. "Oh yeah, I almost fowgot why I came over. I was wondering why you had a black tattoo on the back of your neck?"

Black tattoo?

Black tattoo....

ANGELS FROM HELL BLACK TATTOO!!!!!!!!!!!

No, no, no. NonononononoNO!!!!!!! It couldn't be. Black tattoo. Back of my neck. We all knew what that meant. My expiration date.

I felt my heart start to race, the panic inside of me growing. Gotta stay calm. Just breathe. Breeeaaaaaathe.

In.......

Out.......

In.......

Out.......

Okay. That's better. I let my heart calm down, trying to keep from hyperventilating. Just then Karissity skipped away with a little 'bye' that barely registered in my head, not knowing what she had just done to me.

I let out a breathe. I had to see this for myself.

I sprinted for the bathroom...


	4. Filler

**Hey! Sorry it took so long for me to update. I've been really busy and stuff so yeah. I am really excited!!!! I went to a baby shower for one of my all time favorite teachers today. It was really nice to see her again.**

**Quote of awesomeness: 'Bluetooths are like the man version of a scrunchie.'**

**Disclaimer: I dis to the claim of Maximum Ride the novel, although I do own all five of them.**

**Right. On with the story**

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I barely staggered into through the heavy wooden door, it creaking closed behind me.

The bathroom was dimly lit, the checkered green and cream tiles dusty and old. Across from the door was an aged, clunky sink, the faucet and old-fashioned knobs rusted with wear. Right above was a smallish, naked mirror, the edges of the glass crooked and sharp. In the corner was a small crack, but over the years, it had grown, one straight imperfection running across the face of the mirror.

I leaned on the sink, my hands gripping the edges so hard I could almost feel the cold ceramic condensing into my grip. I closed my eyes, feeling the tears make their slow way out.

Please no, please no. Please God, of whoever controls this world, please not now. Please not during this time when we are finally settling down, when we finally have a chance at being happy.

I drew in a shaky breath. I had made my plea. Now I had to find out.

Slowly, slowly, I opened my eyes. An aged face with tears ready to spill met my eyes. I saw it all. Her past, her struggles, and her pain. All of it to lead up to this.

A light flickered out in the dimly lit room, leaving me with barely enough light to see, as if saying, 'You don't need to know. What you can't see can't hurt you. Right?'

Right? If only life were as simple as that since as much as I wanted to walk out of there right now, as much as I wished I hadn't stopped to talk to that little girl, I just had to know.

Because maybe she had been wrong, maybe I had misheard… Oh please let me have misheard. Another shaky breath.

I swallowed.

I took another trembling breath, this time clogged by unshed tears.

I lifted my hair away from my neck.

A bead of sweat raced down my hairline.

I turned to the light. The perfect angle to know. All in this moment I would see my fate.

I drew my eyes to the neck in the mirror.

And suddenly I was overwhelmed by tears.

No. No, please, please. No. But no matter how much I prayed, no matter how much I wished, there it was, the ugly black scar in neat Times New Roman on the back of my neck.

I can't tell you what it said, because that would just be too painful. But what made it worse is that I was to die on my birthday. Not my decided birthday, but the real, true to the heart, day I was born.

I had three weeks to live the rest of my life.

I collapsed onto the dirty, fast-food floor, my sobs echoing eerily into the silent room. For the longest time all I could do was sit there and cry. I knew I was being a wimp. I should be more concerned about now, about my family, right? But that's not how life is. No one wants to die. And knowing the exact day when it will happen is enough to break down anyone, even the toughest of the tough, the strongest of the strong, the bravest of the brave. I didn't want to die. I just wanted to finally be happy. And after everything I had been through, didn't I at least deserve that?

I don't know how long I sat on that disgusting, cold floor, but I was ready to stay there forever. Nevertheless, life moves on, and I had to move on with it.

Slowly, slowly, I stood up and turned back to the mirror. The girl looking back at me was the icon of misery and longing. Her cheeks were red, wet from all the desires and longing shed in liquid form.

I wiped the hopes away, making sure my cheeks returned to their normal color before pasting a fake smile on my face and stepping back into the fast paced world of McDonalds.

I was met with a blinding light, a bucket of daylight against the teaspoon of candlelight in the cup of darkness.

I blinked rapidly, pausing in the doorway as my eyes adjusted to the radiance.

I looked around. I had no idea how long I had been in the bathroom. Had the flock left already? Were they looking for me? Were they worried? Where were they?

I glanced around the crowded cafeteria. Fang was ordering the food, Gazzy and Iggy standing by him looking bored. Nudge and Angel were sitting at the table, just beginning to eat from their loaded trays. I looked out the door to see the little girl munching on a fry from the backseat of a dark blue SUV.

I hadn't been gone long at all.

I glanced towards the soda fountain, remembering what I had been doing when I had met the girl Karissity. Two full cups and one half filled with Sprite sat where I left them on the tray counter.

I let out a quick breath. It was as if nothing had happened, as if the world hadn't suddenly become abbreviated in time, as if- oh wait, to everyone but me, it hadn't.

Life was like it always was, taking it's boring drive down the intersection of Routine and Sameness. I walked over to the abandoned drinks and finished filling them up. I got three lids, three straws, and walked lightly to Nudge and Angel's table.

I caught Fang's eye from where he was just picking up his food and waited for him to get to the table.

"Hey Max!" said Nudge. "Thanks for getting me the Sprite! It is de-lish! I love these fries and chicken nuggets. They're so much fun to eat!"

I'm pretty sure she would have gone on longer, but my strained smile was enough to let her know something was up.

So she asked the obvious question, "What's up, Max?"

"Oh, uh… nothing, really, I was just… I'm going to go for a fly. Alone. I'll meet you guys back at the house in, like, an hour or so, okay?" I faltered uncertainly.

"Oh, um okay, Max." Angel looked up at me with concern in her eyes.

"Honestly, it's nothing Angel. Just enjoy your pancakes, okay?

She nodded and everyone went back/ started their breakfast. Fang caught my eye, not sure if he should let me go or not. I kept his gaze, hardening my look as much as I could until he finally gave a subtle nod.

I gave everyone a small smile before I walked out of the restaurant and into the broad daylight. I ran to the back of the eatery, where the dumster was placed on a small gravel allyway and jumped into the sky, unfurling my wings.

And it wasn't until I got to a small, secluded forest that I let myself fall to the ground and cry full out.

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**Thanks for reading and reviewing (*hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink*)**

**15 reviews please? I think that's reasonable. I only need six more at least, and then I can post the next chapter. You know, a simple, "Oh my gosh you are my hero!" or a "Wow, I hate you. Yu stink!" is all i need.**


	5. No Sense Whatsoever

**HEY!!!! Sorry I haven't updated in a while! It's kind of hard to set deadlines for myself and all, so I think I need to set specific times to write and stuff. What about if I try to update every two weeks? Every other sunday. I think I can manage that. Well, tell me what you think via review and read on!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I dis to the claim of Maximum Ride.**

**Please continue**

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**MPOV**

A chilly wind rustled through the trees. Leaves crackled and swirled by my head. I groggily opened my eyes. It was about noon by the looks of it. I brought my hand up to my face. It came away wet with tears.

Where was I?

I looked around just in time to see a… was that an arrow?

Sure enough, the sleek black metal tip raced towards my, glinting menacingly in the afternoon light.

I scrambled up from where I lay and dived behind a tree, by brain on hyper alert.

My breath came in shallow spurts. A bush somewhere to the left exploded. I could feel the heat of it on my back before scorching pain reached it. I nearly screamed.

Instinctively, I jumped up and into the high branches of the tree, fifteen feet above me. I tore my jacket off and pressed my back against the cold, smooth bark of the tree.

I let my breathing slow. That had been the strangest thirty seconds of my entire life. Easily.

I looked down in time to see a black hooded figure disappear into the forest.

_He must think he killed me_, I thought. I waited a few minutes before jumping down from the tree. I hissed in a breath of air. My back had been burned from the explosion.

Which led to another question. How had an arrow exploded?

I glanced around the smoking patch of the forest. My back hurt like crazy. I tried to move my wings, relieved to find that they had not been scorched. I kicked around some lose debris, coming up with an amorphous arrow. It was melted out of shape and left black soot all over my hands. I hesitated, wondering if I should go in search of the mystery arrow guy.

_No_, I decided. First things first. I had to get home.

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**FPOV**

I gazed out the open window of Mrs. Martinez's second story. Actually, It was the room that Max, Nudge and Angel shared. I sat on the windowsill, my legs dangling out.

Max had been gone for hours and she had looked pretty spooked when I had last saw her.

Where could she be?

I looked behind me into her room, my eyes locking onto the picture of Max and I when we were six years old. We were still living at the School, but Jeb had snuck us some ice cream cones. The picture captured the moment when we had both looked up at the same exact time, our noses and cheeks covered with ice cream, big grins pasted onto our faces.

It was her favorite picture. And it was the only thing that had survived the fire at the E-shaped house back in Colorado. But not by much. When she had found it, the edges had been charred black, and the bottom left corner had been completely burned away.

It now held a place of honor in a handmade frame by Angel on the side table by Max's bed.

I traced the outline of her face over the glass. Every time I had seen that picture, it had been the image of happiness. The only color in the black and white world known as the School.

But now I looked into six year old Max's eyes and I saw straight into her soul. I saw her fear and her worries, and I saw that every emotion I had seen in this photograph had been a lie. A mask that covered up her real emotions. I looked at the six year old me and saw one of the rare only times I had ever smiled. I remembered that day. I had been happy for once. Because… because I had thought that Max was happy.

I glanced back at Max.

Now all I saw was grief.

I averted my eyes away from the old photograph, too sad to look at it any longer. I turned my head toward the window, half expecting to see Max flying towards me, the same mask of happiness on her face, those same sad, brown eyes with their piercing gaze, her…

Well, I'm sure you can imagine that I was quite surprised to see a black, glossy sedan pull up into Mrs. Martinez's driveway, though with it's neglectance to slow down, it ended up half way on the grass, halfway in the driveway, and a little bit on the side walk.

Although, what happened next made me nearly fall completely out the window.

Because none other than the traitor himself stepped out of that fancy black sedan. That's right: Jeb.

My hands gripped the windowsill to keep myself from attacking him right then and there. I looked down to see my knuckles had turned white and a long, narrow crack ran down the wood that had not been there before.

Jeb turned around from where e stood, giving me a big wave and a hearty smile. It made my blood boil.

So I did what I do best. I went into lockdown mode, hardening the mask that hid my emotions.

And I stared him down until he fidgeted and proceeded to the front door.

I seized my chance and raced downstairs as the cheery doorbell song echoed through the house.

I grabbed Iggy and Gazzy from where they were building a set of paper clip bombs in the living room and pretty much dragged them upstairs and into the bedroom that the three of us shared. We were followed closely by a curious Nudge and Angel, who had been painting near them on the floor. (They weren't actually painting on the floor. They were sitting on the floor with the paper and stuff right next to them. Just thought I'd clear that up.)

The door closed shut behind the five of us, and instantly the room was full of questions.

"Fang, what the heck? Me and Gaz were about to- "

"SHHHHHH!!!!!" I scrambled back to the door, a hand up telling them to keep quiet. On the bottom floor, I could hear Max's mom talking to Jeb, no surprise evident in her voice.

Nudge and Gazzy had their heads cocked to the side.

"Who's that?" Nudge whispered into the now dead silent room.

I opened my mouth to answer, but Angel beat me to it, a solemn, quite confused look on her face. But as confused as she was, there wasn't a hint of doubt to her tone.

"Jeb." She paused for a moment, no doubt listening to the minds below her. "And Mrs. Martinez just invited him to have dinner with us."

It'd amazing how those simple words can cause such a havok.

**Thanks for reviewing!!!!! I have the next chapter almost finished, so i shall see, maybe i might update later this week (wiggles eyebrows) **

*****Let's aim for 25 reviews!*****


	6. FillerNumber Two

**Wow...I haven't updated in a while.....sorry about that. Personally, I really don't like this chapter. I was actually really disgusted about how it came out, but whatever, the next chapter will be mucho better, I PROMISE! Again, SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED AND SORRY IT"S SO SHORT!!!!!!!!!**

**Disclaimer: You know what goes here!**

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**FPOV**

"What the heck? Is that woman CRAZY???"

"Why is Jeb even here anyway?"

"Hey, where's Max?"

"Yeah, shouldn't she be back by now?"

"Umm, maybe we should go back downstairs. The bomb we set under the table might explode if someone touches it by accident…"

"No way are we going down there- "

"YOU SET A BOMB????!!!! IN MAX'S MOM'S HOUSE?"

"Geez you idiots. We don't want to be kicked out of _here_ too!!"

"Hey! That stink bomb in that diner was an accident!"

"No it wasn't, Ig, you said that- mmmph."

"Shut up Gazzy. It was an _accident_."

"Right. Sorry."

"Yeah, sure, you guys. Look, I want to go back to painting. Max can handle this when she gets back okay?"

"Ya."

"Yeah, alright."

"Fine."

"Good plan."

I didn't say a word the entire time.

Everyone filed out of the room, leaving me alone.

I sighed and returned across the hall back to Max's room, perching on the windowsill once again. (And for the record, I was only in there because it had a view of the front yard, whereas my room faced the backyard. No other reason.)

My eyes scanned the bright blue sky once again.

It was a sunny day and the air was sweet. I chuckled to myself, remembering how the Sesame Street song went.

_Sunny Day  
Sweepin' the clouds away  
On my way to where the air is sweet_

__

Can you tell me how to get,  
How to get to Sesame Street

Come and play  
Everything's A-OK  
Friendly neighbors there  
That's where we meet

Can you tell me how to get  
How to get to Sesame Street

It's a magic carpet ride  
Every door will open wide  
To Happy people like you--  
Happy people like  
What a beautiful

Sunny Day  
Sweepin' the clouds away  
On my way to where the air is sweet

_Can you tell me how to get,  
How to get to Sesame street... _

I couldn't believe that I still remembered that song. Of all the silly preschool shows that Angel and Gazzy watched at the E-house, it had always been Max's favorite. Okay, well, she didn't like it exactly, but at least she approved of it.

I smiled, remembering the first time we had ever seen a television. All six of us were in such awe of the amazing magic picture box. All six pairs of eyes were glued to that screen for the better part of three weeks. And wow, had I been brain dead for a few days after that.

I looked at my watch.

Holy pizzas! Had it really been three hours already?

WHERE IN THE WORLD WAS MAX!!!!

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**MPOV**

Okay, honestly, it wasn't until I looked at my watch that I realized that I had been gone for so long.

_Crap,_ I thought. Fang was going to be soooo mad at me. I mean, I'd been gone for a freaking three and a half hours!!!

Who knew time could pass so quickly while your wallowing in self pity....

I took a shaky breath and jumped into the air, spreading my wings. I quickly fell into the familiar rhythm of flying and blasted into warp drive, heading west back towards the house. I figured I'd be there in about ten minutes.

Suddenly pain shot up my back and I almost fell out of the air. Dang it, I had forgotten about the burn. I reluctantly pulled out of my speedy-gonzalas and moved my wings slower, trying not to move my back (which is pretty hard to do when you need to fly).

I sighed. Who knows how long it would take now.

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**FPOV**

Max came zooming at me. Literally.

She came aimed straight at the window, almost like she didn't even see me there. I barely got out of the way in time to see Max land inside her room.

After I deciphered that she was more or less in one piece, I was pretty darn angry.

"Where have you been, Max?!" There was an edge to my tone, making her almost flinch back.

But of course she had been expecting it. However, I wasn't prepared to her reaction...or rather, lack of reaction.

She bit her lip and frowned a little, as if maybe holding back from saying something. And she wouldn't look at me. Max just looked at the window, uncertainty and calculating worry in her deep brown eyes.

Finally, she spoke.

"Sorry, Fang," her voice uncharacteristically soft, "I just...needed some time to think, that's all." Max smiled weakly up at me. Her face was the image of that six year old little girl with the ice cream cone, smiling without real joy.

This time I saw right through it.


	7. More Confusion and Some Lunch

**Okay, people, I am updating early because Rebellious Angel was threatening a cute little bunny against me. So thank her. Here you go:**

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**MPOV**

It was kind of awkward, you know, just kinda standing there, so I decided to talk.

"Where's everyone? I can't hear them at all. Are they out?" Fang returned my question with long, steady look, his eyes seering into mine. Finally, when I thought I wouldn't be able to hold his gaze much longer, he looked down, "Yeah, they went out for a fly about twenty minutes ago. You missed lunch."

I could hear the unspoken question in that last statement. He wanted to know where I had been. Of course, I innocently ignored it, instead saying, "Alright, I'm going to go get something to eat then…What?"

Fang was looking in my eyes again. Something was definitely up.

"What?" I asked again.

"Jeb's here," Fang said urgently. "He went to the park with your mom and the rest of the Flock."

A spark of hope went through me. I swear, I could almost see myself light up with the possibility. Jeb could help me. He could take away this nightmare before it started up full blast.

It would mean that I would have to trust him. It would mean that I would have to ask him for help, that I would have to acknowledge thathe existed. Because my life would depend on him.

Fang was watching me intently, no doubt a little baffled at my reaction. I met his eyes once again.

Then I gave him a small smile. "Care to join me for a late lunch?"

* * *

**FPOV**

Something was up. I knew it. Max had ben acting weird all day. First the little girl, then her disappearing for a couple hours to Whoknowswhere, and now her actually being moderately happy that the devil himself had come for a visit.

I watched Max eat as I munched on my sandwich. She was very side tracked. There was a glazed look in her eyes as she moved her fork absent-mindedly around her plate of spaghetti, some of it spilling over the side of the corning ware.

I took my eyes off of her as the door opened, and all of a sudden the house was full of noise and commotion.

"Hey Fang! We're back!"

"Yeah, it was sooo much fun, you should have come!"

"I didn't think it was fun. I got a bucket of sand dumped on my head."

"Well, you were messing up our game, so we had to get you to stop somehow."

"Well, you didn't have to make me stop with SAND!"

"Yeah, you could have just asked us to stop."

"But Gazzy, we did, like twenty times!"

"No, that was only, like…thirteen."

"Well there you go."

"Yeah, you guys are such- HI MAX!! We haven't seen you all day!"

Max smiled, her big, brown eyes no longer clouded over. She greeted them with a big smile as Nuge and Angel came to give her a hug.

"Ugh, I don't know about you guys, but I am going to go take a loooong, cold shower. It was freaking 93 degrees at the park!" Iggy stomped up the stairs, shedding sand from his clothes.

"He was followed by Total and Nudge, and Gazzy and Angel and Ella went off somewhere to play yet another loud, wild game.

Which left Mrs. Martinez, Me, Max….and Jeb standing in the room.

Jeb started the conversation.

"Hello Max," he said, ignoring me. "How have you been? It's been a few weekes since I last saw you. Your family seems to be doing well."

I put a smug face on, waiting to hear Max's sarcastic reply, similar to the one at the tip of my tongue.

Instead, Max jumped out of her chair, grabbed Jeb quite roughly around his wrist, and very nearly dragged him out the door.


	8. Promise: Max's POV

**Sorry for the long wait!!!! But I have decided that,since I usually update about every two weeks, I will treat you to a fun poll every time I do. This chapters poll: If an elephant stomped into your house and told you to make it a sandwich, what would you do?**

**You review and I write!**

* * *

**MPOV**

I yanked Jeb out of the house, not caring if he got banged around on the trip out the door. I kept pulling that awkward stumbling man until we reached the far end of my mom's huge backyard, where we were mostly concealed by trees. Hopefully big ears wouldn't hear us all the way back here.

I stopped abrubtly and glared at Jeb as he reoriented himself. That clumsy guy…

I waited until he was staring back at me, uncomfortable at my hard, icy glare, but also with a hard defiance in his eyes.

"Yes, Max?" Jeb broke silence in that condescending tone of his.

"Is this some kind of cruel joke!?" I said incredulously, my hatred of him shining in my words."

Jeb sighed. He _sighed! _Can you believe the nerve of that…never mind.

"Is _what_ some 'cruel joke?'" he said slowly and mockingly. "Max, I don't know what is going on, but I don't have time for this garbage. I was invited for dinner, as a guest, not as some servant or slave of yours."

My fists clenched at my sides. I was practically shaking with anger and (though I will never admit it) grief and longing. I just wanted to be back inside with my family, relaxing for the first time in my life.

My eyes bored holes into his. I yanked my hair off the back of my neck so hard and fast it brought tears to my eyes.

"You call this _garbage_?! You think my death is a_ waste of your time_?" My voice shook and tears slipped down my cheeks, but I didn't care anymore.

Jeb stared at me in silent shock. Well, mostly at the back of my now covered neck.

"Max, I- …I didn't know." It was a weak excuse and we both knew it.

"How could you 'not know'? You're the high and mighty Jeb Batchelder knower of all things and the worlds worst dad! Whose son died at seven years old because of him" –my voice broke and I ended in a whisper- "and now his daughter will too."

Somehow I had fallen to my knees, at the mercy of His Royal Highness. It made no difference. Tears were flowing freely down my face as I looked up to stare into the soft, brown eyes so much like my own.

"I'm so scared. More scared than I've ever been before. And more alone, too. I can't even tell Fang. I tell him _everything._I'll save the world a hundred times, but I can't do this. I can't just stand up and fight when the battle is already lost."

Jeb had softened to an understanding adult. He knealt down and rubbed my shoulder. His hand was rough and scratchy even through my T-shirt.

"What do you need from me, Max?" compassion and caring in his voice. Of course, it meant nothing to me, but at least it was better than him ignoring me and walking away.

Suddenly, I felt like little Ari, my poor brother, and a new wave of pain washed over me.

I stifled my tears with so much difficulty, you have no idea. I whispered up to him so softly, I'm amazed he could even hear me, "I…I need your help, Jeb." I swallowed and stood up, using a tree branch for balance. I still managed to stumble. "If it's too late to save me, at least for them. Don't let them die this way too."

I met Jeb's eyes with so much hope and desperation, it almost made me sick. How could I let myself be such a sap, especially around Jeb? I didn't have a choice. That's how.

"Please?" My voice still a whisper, I was too scared to manage anything else.

Jeb was silent.

He glanced around at the beautiful trees in full bloom, at the house about the size of my thumb, at the window with five horrified faces peering out at…. Crap.

I bit my lip hard, trying to keep back the long list of swear words at the tip of my tongue. I must have shown more of a struggle than I had thought because Jeb looked over at me and raised his eyebrows.

Then, so softly I wasn't even sure I had heard him right, he said out of the side of his mouth, not looking at me again, "Eight o'clock, meet me at the gas station."

Then he just stalked off back to the house, as if he had just been out for a refreshing morning walk.

But I am positive I heard him say to himself as he turned his back to me, "I'm sorry, Max."

* * *

When I glanced back at the window, Fang was the only one left. I refused to meet his eyes. Something about them always made me want to tell him everything, which was, I'll admit, basically what I did.

Not this time.

My back still throbbed. Had that only been about ten minutes ago that I was flying away from a mysterious and very random exploding arrow? It seemed like forever.

Forever. I hated that word.

I turned away from the window and stepped into the security of the trees, hiding myself from Fang. Yeah, mostly Fang.

But what else could I do?

I stood out there for who knows how long. A half hour? Finally, I was sure that the tears had dried up, and that my eyes were no longer puffy and wet, like the clouds above me.

* * *

I walked back towards the house, carefully avoiding that window.

I slid open the door and was greeted with a blast of cool air and a near silent house. I walked through the living room and made my way towards the kitchen. Step by step.

I almost smiled to myself.

_Every journey begins with a single step._

That mystical taxi cab would have been so helpful right about now. Yeah, right. New York held nothing but painful memories for me.

Okay, not completely. Of all the horrors and awful events proceeding the Big Apple, maybe it was worth it. Worth it to see the Gasman so happy and carefree during that concert. Worth it to go to the world's biggest toy store and find Angel something to love and hold onto. Worth it to add Total to our Flock.

I actually smiled at that last one. Total was… well, I don't know what Total was to me. I'd figure it out eventually.

"Yo."

I swear, I jumped like ten feet back and knocked into a chair and somehow landed on the other side of the room.

Okay, so I was a little jumpy.

Fang raised an eyebrow at me.

You would be jumpy too…

"You okay?"

Don't meet his gaze, don't meet his gaze, don't meet his gaze.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You just startled me, that's all."

"Yeah, I just 'startled' you." Jeez, what was it with people mocking me today!

"Yup. That's my story and I'm sticking to it." I managed to keep myself my usual jaunty and carefree self, at least, so that was something.

I passed Fang and walked over to the refridgerator behind the island. It was just something about asking for help that made me so hungry…

"Seriously, Max, what's up?" He gave me his no nonsense tone, the same one that I had tried so many times on him. My thoughts went back to right after that fatal run-in with…Ari. Fang had gotten so hurt and then we'd gone to hospital and- It was just flashback central today, wasn't it?

I must have spaced out for a second or two, because when everything came back into focus, Fang was right next to me, staring at me with such concern, that it reminded me of New York again and the brain attacks and WHY IS THIS HAPPENING AGAIN!?

I sighed and shook my head. A bad move on my part.

"Max," Fang said again. He put a hand on my back.

I hissed in a breath and the touch sent new waves of pain up my back. Dang it. But I couldn't help it. My hand was clenched around the door handle. And it hurt soooo much!

Wordlessly, Fang lifted up the back of my shirt and gasped. Was it really that bad? Oops.

"Max, what _happened_?" He finally exploded at me. "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"

Something told me he was referring to more that just my back.

"Come on, let's go upstairs and get you cleaned up." He was still angry at me. I just have that natural talent to make people mad at me with out as much as saying a few words.

He didn't wait for my answer, instead just pushed me up the stairs, carefully avoiding the burned part of my back. We stepped into the bathroom and he clicked the light on.

"Counter."

"Fang, I'm fine really, I don't- "

"Counter."

I sighed and climbed onto the counter next to the sink so I was facing the mirror.

He pinned the bottom of my shirt to my collar and started with the antiseptic and tongue depresser.

I bit my lip again, this time to keep from crying out. God it hurt so much.

"Max, quit fidgeting."

"Kinda hard not to," I said through clenched teeth.

"What happened, Max?" He was still trying to get an answer out of me, "What did Jeb say to you? What made you…cry?

He had finished with the stinging antiseptic and had started bandaging me, wrapping it around my stomach and back.

"It was an exploding arrow. A man with a black hood."

Fang frowned.

"Ow, Fang, not so tight! I gotta breathe!"

"Sorry."

We were silent for a few moments as Fang finished treating my burn and pulled my shirt back down.

Finally, he managed to catch my eyes in his, "Jeb?"

I pulled the tiny metal circle off of my first finger and put it into Fang's hand. It was a promise ring, my most prized possession because I had made it myself. Ten years stuck in a cage with a little silver wire gives you time to do that kind of stuff.

"I promise, Fang, I will tell you." When I'm ready.


	9. Promise: Fang's POV

**Hey you guys!!! Sorry i take so long to update, but at least my chapters have gotten longer! i think! Well, enjoy, and review!**

* * *

"Fang?!" Nudge asked, shock and horror in her voice. What's wrong with Max? Why is she crying?"

Jeb was hidden from her view and Max was on the ground, crying.

"I don't know, Nudge," I said honestly. I rubbed her back as she joined me to look out the window, tears starting to form in her own eyes.

Angel was frowning as she stomped up the stairs to where we were.

"Why does Max have to be so good at hiding her thoughts," she huffed, "I have a right to know what she's thinking!"

Then a confused expression replaced her scowl as she thought about what she had just said.

I turned my attention back to the window.

Behind me, Gazzy gasped when he saw Jeb there, a cold, hard look on his face, glaring down at Max.

A shiver traveled down my back and my fist curled around the windowsill for the second time today. Had he done this to her?

"What did he do?" Gazzy wailed, frightened for his leader and mother, "Why did he make Max cry like that?"

Gazzy grabbed my leg on the other side of me from Nudge. Tears started to flow down Nudge's face as she bit her lip to keep from crying out. I had to do something about these guys.

"Shhh, Gazzy! I'm trying to listen! Why did she have to pick a spot so far back?" Iggy was suddenly behind me.

What was this, a party?

Can't I watch Max be miserable in peace…

But honestly, I was really worried about Max. What had happened at breakfast? Why had she suddenly broken down like that? Was it because of what Gazzy and Iggy did this morning? But she had hardly been mad about that.

I though hard while trying to block out Nudge's loud, though perfectly reasonable whining.

Was it something that had happened before today? Yesterday? Last week? Last month?

Last month we had been saving the world, and Max had been in Germany…

I thought harder. Last month we had buried Ari back in that sad little forest. She had cried then, but she was better after that.

Last month we had met Max's mom for the first time as the seven of us.

I sighed. There was too much to sort out. It could be anything, really.

But why would she go to Jeb? I was offended, actually. I was her best friend for crying out loud. Maybe I had sent her the message that I wanted more that just that, but… I was still the one that she trusted most, especially over a cretin like Jeb. Why didn't she tell me first? Was she even going to tell me at all?

Max stood up. Jeb turned around, a sad look in his eyes. I turned my gaze towards Max. But not before I saw Jeb mouth, out of the corner of my eye, "8 o'clock, meet me at the gas station."

* * *

I saw Max huddled there, behind the tree, so hopeless and lost.

"Fang?" Angel said in a shaky, young voice, "I'm scared." Two words I had never heard out of her mouth. It didn't take the horrors of the School to make her say it, it had been the sad glimpse at her crying mother, her lost sister, her broken everything.

Angel clung to my hand, and with a look over my shoulder; I found that Gazzy had done the same to Iggy. Nudge just looked lost. I grasped Angel's hand firmly, offering what little support I had to give her.

I just wanted to go out there and give Max a much needed hug and tell her everything was going to be alright, that she could smile again and I'll take her out to get ice cream. A double scoop of chocolate fudge, her favorite since she was a kid. Instead, I forced myself to look away and turned to the others, all staring broken-heartedly at a broken Max.

"Why don't you guys go out to get lunch or something? I'll talk to Max and see what's going on. Ig, you're in charge."

Gazzy glanced out the window hesitantly and bit his lip. Angel did almost and exact imitation of her brother. Nudge frowned, concern in her deep, brown eyes. Iggy ran a hand through his hair, no doubt worried as well. We all were.

"… okay, Fang. We can, like, go out for a few hours of something. Max will be okay, right?" Nudge stared straight into my eyes.

"Yeah, Nudge, she'll be okay. She always is." With that, I turned my gaze back to Max as everyone else files solemnly out the door.

I watched Max visibly force herself off the ground. She turned around, looking everywhere but my little window. Finally, she me t my gaze and my heart melted.

Such desperation in her eyes, but yet, a defiant look of determination. That very look that she always held proud, in the hardest days at the School to the terrifying days on the run. Everyday.

Right now, it shone like a bright light.

I was so confused.

* * *

I watched Max as she slowly made her way towards the back door. I saw her silver ring flash in the sunlight from its lifetime position on her thumb. She never took it off, hadn't since the day she finished making it when we were eight years old.

In the back of my mind, I saw the young, care free Max trapped in the cold, hard prison that the School was. That awful place that made her grow up too quickly.

I remembered her proud smile, her cute, freckled face beaming with accomplishment as she showed us the ring she had taken three years to make.

Jeb had given her such a great smile, and he had swung Max around, telling her how amazing it was, how beautiful the ring was, how spectacular she was.

She giggled her bubbly, bell-like laughter as he put her down.

"I'm gonna give it to Angel! As a gift!" Angel had just moved in with us a few weeks before, still a fledgling, still sleeping for most of the day.

Angel was too little, Jeb had said in reply. So Max had kept it herself to give to Angel when she was older. Angel knew it, too.

But over the years, it had become Max's comfort, like a security blanket in the shape of a little silver loop that can fit on your finger. Even if she never told anyone, Max really loved that ring, and we all knew it.

So when Max had offered it to Angel for her fifth birthday, Angel told her that Max just wouldn't be Max without her favorite ring.

Max said it was just a ring, but secretly, we could all see she wasn't disappointed to keep it.

I heard Max walk quietly into the house, her haunting giggle echoing in my mind.

By the time she got to the kitchen, I was waiting for her, I almost gasped when I saw her face. Her eyes were red and her piercing brown irises were sort of glazed over.

She didn't see me.

"Yo."

I didn't realize that one word could make Max jump so high. She looked away from me immediately.

I raised an eyebrow at her. I decided to play it innocent.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You just startled me, that's all." I could see the lie right there in her eyes and in the way she bit her lip. Plus, you know, it's pretty hard to startle someone like Max.

"Yeah, I just 'startled' you." I crossed my arms and leaned on the doorframe. She still wasn't meeting my gaze.

"Yup. That's my story and I'm sticking to it." She gave a small smile, which ultimately turned into a grimace. Her voice was forced, though it could've fooled anyone. Her eyes still held misery.

Max turned away from me and walked to the refrigerator, bending down to see what was inside the cluttered doors.

I sighed. She was impossible. I made my way over to where she stooped and leaned on the counter.

"Seriously, Max, what's up?" I could get just about anything out of Max, and I did, no matter what it took to make her tell me. I was not going to back down now.

I looked at Max. She had a spaced out look on her face, her hands had stopped their rummaging and there was a sad, distant look on her face. It reminded me of New York, back at the sewer tunnels…

I stood up from the counter and came to stand next to her, staring into her eyes as well as I could. I hoped that she wouldn't have another brain attack; they had really scared and worried me. I still wasn't completely sure that they would never come back.

Max sighed, shaking her head. She looked exhausted and worn out, ready to fall asleep in an instant.

I frowned.

"Max," I put a hand on her back, about to suggest that maybe she should sit down or something.

Instead, she hissed in a sharp breath, and her hand clench around the door. I could almost hear the cry of pain that was resting on her lips.

A sense of dread tingled my senses. What had she been doing after breakfast?

Wordlessly, I lifted up the back of her shirt, and gasped out loud.

Her back was a burned mess, bright red and half healed, bleeding a little near the center. How could I have not noticed when she came home? Max had

been gone for hours; who knew where she had been and what she had done?

Max herself did, for sure.

Max, what _happened_? Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?!" She never told me anything anymore. Okay, not true, but I was still a little miffed about the episode with Jeb and her trust issues. Didn't she know better than to trust Jeb, and that she could trust me waaaayyyy more than that traitor?

"Come on, let's go upstairs and get you cleaned up." There was an edge to my voice that made Max flinch almost invisibly. I instantly felt bad, but come on,what was she thinking on that one?

I didn't wait for the protest I knew that was coming and, well, half shoved her up the stairs, careful to avoid the spots where the burn was worst.

I pushed her into the bathroom and began getting out the cleaning supplies and bandages.

"Counter."

"Fang, I'm fine really, I don't- "

"Counter," I said a little more forcefully.

She sighed and climbed onto the sink, letting me pin the bottom of her shirt up. I started with the antiseptic.

"Max, quit fidgeting."

"Kinda hard not to." And whose fault is that?

"What happened, Max? What did Jeb say to you? What made you…cry?" I was going to get the information out of her if it cost me my life. Which, well, with Max, it just might.

I started to wrap the bandage around her stomach and back.

"It was an exploding arrow. A man with a black hood." Finally! Some answers! Wait-what? Someone had tried to kill Max, and I hadn't been there to make sure he didn't. If she had gotten killed…

I didn't finish that thought, but I mentally added Blackhood to my list of people/whatevers to hunt down and take care of myself.

"Ow, Fang, not so tight! I gotta breathe!" Oops, I had started yanking at the bandages. Maybe now's not the best time…

I focused my attention back onto what I was doing, rebandaging the part that had gotten too tight.

I worked in silence for a few minutes before I pulled the pin from Max's shirt and she got off the counter.

I grabbed her arm before she could run off without telling me things again. Finally, she let me catch her eye.

"Jeb?"

She bit her lip hard, uncertainty in her eyes. She tapped her fingers nervously on her thigh. If she was going to disappear again-

Max slipped off her beautiful, silver rind and slipped it into my hand. There was a thin, pale line on her thumb where the skin hadn't gotten any sun in years.

"I promise, Fang, I _will_ tell you." She looked straight into my eyes, the only promise she had ever made to me.

Then she turned around, and walked away, leaving me in the bathroom alone.

Just not today. But soon, right?


	10. Sort of Baseball, sort of not

**Yay!!! I'm updating!!!!! Sorry I haven't updated in forever!!! Hopefully this nine page (on Microsoft Word) will make up for it a little. Read and review and I will…. Hold on a second….okay, let me think about that and get back to you….**

**Disclaimer: I no James Patterson. (Shakes head sadly)**

**MPOV**

I walked out of the room stiffly, the bandages making it hard to find a comfortable stride.

I fingered my thumb where the ring should be, that thin loop that had been my constant companion for years.

I hadn't realized how much I depended on that tiny little security. I felt strangely empty without it. _Maybe I should go and get it back from Fang…_

I even paused in the hall. I actually almost turned back.

_No Max,_ I thought to myself, almost frowning. _It's just a ring._ A freaking piece of jewelry! I survived eight years in the school without that silly thing- I can survive just three more weeks.

Only three more weeks.

* * *

FPOV

I stood in the bathroom for a few minutes after Max left, my mind spinning.

I fingered the little ring in my hand. It fit onto Max's thumb perfectly, too big for her delicate fingers to stay on any of them with out falling off during a fight.

It was too small for any of my fingers except for my pinky. I slipped it into my pocket instead and opened the bathroom window.

I sighed, took a deep breath and jumped. I needed time to think.

* * *

**MPOV**

From my room I heard the clatter of a window opening as the last of my flock flew away from me. I returned to the closet from where I had paused to listen to him fly away. I grabbed a worn out hoodie that was too big for me and stuffed it to the bottom of my green knap sack,

After that I just kind of stood there in the dim light, wondering how my life could have changed so much in the past few hours, wondered what sort of messed up fate had brought Jeb back right when I needed him most, wondered what in the world I had been thinking when I let Gazzy and Iggy off the hook so easily.

I mean, come on! It was the perfect opportunity to smack some much-needed sense into them…

I sighed. _Okay Max,_ I thought (I seem to be doing that a lot lately), _I have cried more in the past few hours that I have in my entire life combined, even at the beach, even when Angel was taken right from my side, snatched away to a living hell…_

God, I am so selfish. I shouldn't be crying for me, heck, I shouldn't even be crying at all.

I threw my small backpack onto the ground with renewed determination.

I shouldn't be in here wallowing in my self-pity, I should be out flying, with my family, having fun and living purely for the moment.

If only life were that easy. I took a deep breath and jumped out the mysteriously open window above my bed, off to find my flock.

It was hopeless trying to force a smile onto my face when the end was so soon.

There was still that tangible, uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. My eyes felt clogged from being so wet for so long, but even still, I didn't know when I would see my family again, after tonight.

I flew at my super speed, away from our house. My best bet would be to find them at the city park.

About two minutes later, I felt back to normal, no more tears threatening to come out. In fact, I felt like such a wimp! How could I have let that happen? What had become of the fiery Maximum Ride spirit that everyone loved and a lot of the time wanted to strangle in annoyance?

_Well, she's back for now._ After all, I would need her to get through these coming weeks.

* * *

I slowed down to coast on a warm thermal, the air enveloping me in a satisfying cocoon. I closed my eyes as it carried me forward…

"BANG!" I almost fell out of the sky, startled out of my catnap. Adrenaline rushed through my veins. I circled quickly, sweeping the area for attackers.

Then I heard it.

"Woohoo! That was a good one! Ye-hah! Let's do that again!"

Iggy.

Of course.

Although you'd be surprised to find that it wasn't a bomb, a blown up tree, or even a bare patch in the grass that I found.

It was a baseball bat.

Now I felt kind of stupid, all crouched into the fighting position.

But I laughed anyways and dived down to join my flock.

What's a friendly game of bird-kid baseball, anyway?

It's pretty interesting, actually.

* * *

Question: In what way does the flock fail at baseball?

A.)No one has any freaking clue how to play besides the fact that you have to hit a ball with a bat. No Gazzy, not a winged mammal. Angel, put that down!

B.)We don't have a baseball, so we use a slightly flattened football. The freaking thing doesn't hit straight! Whose idea was this, anyways!

C.)We're superhumanly strong, so if there happens to be a, say, for instance, lake about 257 yards to the east, then the ball might just lodge into the middle of the lake and some certain six year old with gills will just HAVE to go in after it, proceeding to get herself soaking wet, then disappearing into the water for fifteen minutes, making us think that, "A SEA MONSTER GOT HER!!! WE'RE GONNA NEED AMMO!!!" No Gazzy, no ammo…

D.)All of the above.

Well, I'm, sure any one can easily get an A on that quiz…

So.

Yeah.

Anyways…

* * *

I crouched over home plate, narrowing my eyes toward the ball. I was last to bat before the inning or whatever was over.

You know how they always say, "Save the best for last!" Or something like that. Well, in this particular situation it was, "Make Max go last because after she bats we're never going to see our ball again!"

Anyways, back to the game… That cliché, overly used western music they always have on those cheesy cowboy movies played in the background. The camera did a close up on my eyes, the wind tousling my hair back…

"Nudge, turn that freaking music off!! And give that little girl back her camera!!"

Iggy hurled the ball at me.

Bang! Or Snap! Or Boom! Or whatever you want to call the noise.

The bat snapped in half in my hands (Hence the 'Snap!' option) and the ball flew over the edge of the park, out into the distance above the forest.

Yeah, the one that I was crying in this morning.

Everyone stopped for a second to watch it fly. It was eerily quiet in the entire park for a moment. Even the birds had stopped chirping from the noise of bat against ball.

Someone on the other side of the park shouted and all at once we took to the air, racing each other to get to the ball.

Except me.

I took off in the opposite direction, towards the far end of the park (this place is like almost as big as Central Park, New York. Trust me, I would know) to reach first base.

As is turns out, first base is an ice cream cart. I shrugged. Might as well.

One double-scoop mint and chocolate fudge ice cream cone later, I was racing towards the play structure section of the park, back to the north.

I flew through the climbing tunnel and skidded on the ground right past it, onto the really bad and out of proportion chalk drawing of an elephant- second base.

I turned my head towards the forest. It had been about five minutes since everyone had disappeared into the trees.

Whatever, I'll just give them another three or so minutes got find it before I assume they've been eaten or something.

I zoomed off to third base.

* * *

**FPOV**

Okay, so I was flying above the big park, the forest part that stretches for like 250 acres in any given direction **(A/N: I hope you know that I am just making all this Arizona geography up because I don't believe that this particular park/forest even exists at all…)** when it hit me.

Literally. This freaking_**football **_came out of nowhere and knocked me out of the sky.

For a second I was stunned, my wing throbbing from the power of the hit. I fell about fifty feet before swooping down to grab the ball.

Why the heck was it so high up here, hurtling so fast and hard going nowhere?

Then the voices wafted up to me.

"Where did it go? That was the only ball we had!"

"I don't know, did you look by those trees, Ig?"

"She's at first base getting ice cream. Come on, there's a line, we still have a chance!"

"I know, I know, I'm looking!"

"My gawd, Gazzy, stop shoving dirt at me!"

"I'm looking for the ball!"

"In an ant hill?"

"Okay, okay, I'll put them back."

"Come on, she just got to the front of the line!"

"Angel, quit sight seeing and help us look!"

"Okay, okay, I'm- Oh! Hey Fang!"

"Fang! Thank goodness! You found the ball!"

"Yeah, bring it down, she's almost to second!"

I almost smiled to myself. _Fly away and let Max win, or give them the ball and get her out…._

Then I _did _smile to myself.

"Hey guys, you want to do something more fun?"

* * *

**MPOV**

I looked around suspiciously.

Nothing. Not feather, nor wing.

I slowed down as I coasted over the home plate, doing a little flip to land softly on the only plate that was actually a plastic baseball thingy majigger.

Still no sign of them.

Then I remembered; this had been the forest where that arrow had almost exploded me this morning. I still had the stiff bandages to prove it.

Panic began to rise up my stomach. What if he had found my flock? What if I was too late? What if they were long gone and all I would find would be a couple of burnt feathers and…

I burst into hyperspeed without even jumping first, wobbling startlingly in the air. I let out a "whoa!" which I quickly left three miles behind me, carried away by the wind.

I skidded to a halt mere seconds later, landing hard on my feet.

I paused, trying to get my pulse to slow down. _Deep breathes, Max._

Suddenly there was a SNAP!

And I snapped with it.

* * *

"Angel!? Gazzy!? Nudge!?" I started running through the forest towards the sound. Okay, yeah, I know that normally you're supposed to run _away_ from the menacing, possibly deadly noise, but you know, I'm just quirky like that.

After about half a mile, I stopped, still breathing calmly, though my pulse was quickened. I hadn't heard the noise again.

See, having hearing like a hawk, I could hear a mouse sneeze from a mile and a half in the air, if I listened close enough. Who knows how far away that noise could have come from?

Something flashed in the back of my eye.

I bit my lip, narrowing my eyes into the forest around me as I whipped my head to the side. I could've sworn I had seen a blond curl…

SNAP! I jumped about three feet into the air before running toward the direction of the sound about two hundred feet to my left.

I skidded to a stop about thirty seconds later, finding myself at the edge of a clearing. My eyes immediately rested on the broken limb lying in the center.

I glanced around cautiously, the tingling feeling that something bad was about to happened shivered up my spine. Hesitantly, I stepped out of the shelter of the trees and into the open space. I had no defense against anything out of the protection of the trees.

About ten feet in, I heard a rustling in the branches surrounding me. My head shot up, and my wings half opened, ready to take flight.

Then I remembered the arrow guy and closed my wings again to make myself a smaller target. Not that it would help. That guy had spot on aim. If not for my razor sharp reflexes, I would be a dead Max.

I continued walking.

Another forty looooong yards and I reached the center where I found the broken limb, splintered and dry, but along with it there was a…picnic?

Right there in the middle of the forest. The freaking forest.

Then I looked closer at the food. Chocolate cake. _That's funny_, I thought, _Nudge loves chocolate cake_. Kettle corn from Trader Joe's. Angel's favorite…I got that sinking feeling that sadly, I'm all too familiar with.

I scanned the rest of the food. Gummy worms. Gazzy. Burritos. Iggy. Chocolate chip cookies. Me, of course. And blueberries. Fang. Wait…Fang was here?

This can't be good.

* * *

I heard a bang come from the trees behind me and turned around just in time to see red liquid stream down my arm and off my fingertips.

I laughed.

Paintballs.

Bang!

Crap.

Bright blue splattered all over my jeans. I jumped over the branch and grabbed a handful of cookies. Then I burst into the air, straight up at about fifty miles per hour. Okay, not a world record, but…wait- is it? You know, I'm gonna have to do some research on that….

Up in the air I was able to spot an extra paintball gun filled with green resting on a rock near the edge of the forest. (Eyes like a hawk; I can easily read a book from two miles away.) **(A/N: It's actually true, too. Hawks have AMAZING eyesight)**

I shot downward gain like an arrow and scooped up the little device, regaining my altitude again.

I looked at the paint ball gun, filled to the brim and overflowing with excess paint.

There was a note attached to it, too.

_Prepare to meet your doom._

**THANKS FOR STAYING WITH ME!!!! I WILL TRY TO UPDATE FASTER!!! I WILL I WILL!!!!!!!**

**REVIEW!!!!**


	11. The inevitable

**Hey everyone! I know that I haven't updated in like forever, and that is totally and completely my fault. I'm really sorry, terribly, horribly sorry! So anyways, I hope this satisfies, and I will try to update again...soon...maybe... SORRY! i'm just so lazy...**

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**MPOV**

I was covered in paint. No, I was drenched, soaked, and most likely bruised in paint. My clothes were tye dyed, my arms were rainbow, and the tips of my ponytail were stained purple.

I stood in a tree at the edge of the picnic clearing. It had been a good fifteen minutes since I had last seen anyone. A slight breeze rustled though the treetops, my eyes locking on anything that could move for miles around. My flock had learned from the best. They were nowhere to be found.

There was another quiver in the leaves behind me. I stiffened. What was that? The noise stopped, but I still felt a presence behind me.

Slowly I turned around, keeping my face concealed behind the leaves that separated us.

Blond hair. Blue paintball gun. A mischievous smile to complement mischievous eyes. I smiled. He didn't see me.

I raised my arm slowly, not making a sound.

I aimed.

My finger was on the trigger.

I started to push down and…

Suddenly Gazzy jerked his head around to face me, a big bright smile on his colorful face.

Then Iggy's voice came out of nowhere, right in my ear, "HI MAX!"

I flinched back, startled. I yelped as I lost my footing, dropping my paintball gun fifteen feet below.

I groped for a branch to steady me but felt nothing as I fell backwards out of the tree.

You see, fifteen feet is more than enough time to snap out your wings and grab a paintball gun and go in pursuit of an evil eight year old buy. But when an Angel jumps from right above you and lands on your chest as you fall, it's not quite that easy. Just saying.

I hit the ground hard, my breath wooshing out of me from Angel's weight.

I lay there, trying to catch my breath as she peered innocently down at me. I raised an eyebrow at her and she smiled back.

It was peaceful for a moment there, even though my back stung from hitting the dirt with so much force and Angel weighed a freaking ton and I was still gasping loudly and uncontrollably. Well, for a moment it was peaceful, anyway.

Suddenly Angel's eyes widened and she rolled off of me, to the left, narrowly avoiding kicking me in the mouth.

"Angel, what- oof."

Two painted bird kids fell from the trees, their weight all but crushing me. Iggy was right on top of me, Gazzy right on top of him. "Hey Max," Iggy chimed. His face was inches from mine, half blue, half yellow.

I didn't say anything. Partly because he would just laugh, partly because I couldn't, mostly because at that moment another shove of weight pressed down on me, extinguishing the last bit of air I had.

"Hi Max!" Nudge peered down at me, her copper skin covered with splatters of yellow.

That's funny. She was the one with the yellow gun…

I gasped noisily for air, glaring at Iggy, who was just as squished as I was now, but still laughing anyway. From next to me, Angel giggled then jumped on top of Nudge, completing the flock pile.

I had to laugh at Gazzy's expression with the added fifty pounds, and suddenly everyone was laughing and fighting for breath at all our colored faces and hair that made us look like clowns and just the perfectness of the afternoon despite the unpromising morning.

My smile dwindled at that thought and I glanced at Angel, alarmed she might have picked up on something. She met my eyes, curious. I would have let out a sight of relief if I had had any air in my lungs. I smiled at her and she rolled off onto the ground, landing without a sound.

Nudge did the same and Angel scooted over. Gazzy and Iggy roll-flopped off of me, too, letting me breathe easily again.

We all just laid there for a moment, listening to each others' calm breaths, just sort of looking up at nothing.

I sat up, realizing something, "Hey, where's Fang?"

Nudge sat up too, frowning, "Huh. You're right. I haven't seen him in like ten minutes or something. That's so weird. One minute I was running from him and the next he was all like, 'Hey, let's all get Max!' and then he disappeared and- "

Boom!

Or was it Pop!

But whatever it was, a rock exploded next to my hand.

"Eeahh!" I jumped up, immediately on the defensive.

More rocks and clumps of dirt blew up around us.

"Scatter!" Iggy cried.

We all ran to the edge of the clearing in different directions. My heart was on over drive, adrenaline quickly replacing my brief bout of calmness. Not now, I thought desperately. Not now. Was it the exploding arrow guy again? It hadn't been that long since the first encounter.

I jumped to the trees, crouching behind a clump of leaves, ready to face the attacker.

All at once the dust calmed down. The attack had stopped. Hopefully he (she, it?) had lost us. Or them, at least. As long as the rest of my flock had gotten away. That was all that mattered.

I squinted at the shredded field. The half where we were laying just seconds ago was an ugly mess of dirt and ripped up grass, stained with black…

Black.

Black…?

Aw crap.

I swiveled my head wildly around, careful not to make a sound. Not one sound, Max, not one tiny sound.

I bit my lip. I just needed a clue. I slowed my gaze, inspecting every nook and cranny, every leaf and stem.

Come on. Come on. Just a little twitch. A tiny movement. That was all I needed.

I scanned the trees for the fourth time, my eyes locking on everything that moved, tracking every bit of the wind.

…

…

…

…

…

There!

I grinned in satisfaction. A black shirt had ruffled in the breeze, a small edge of fabric showing behind a branch on the other side of the field.

Perfect.

Now how to do this without being seen…

I could sneak through the trees around the clearing and get behind him...

Of course, that would take too much time and make to much noise.

Hmm…

The best way to do this would be to just jump right over and across. He'd see though and move.

I'd need a distraction. Just something to get his attention away from the trees for like two seconds. What to do, what to do…

_I could scream._

"Gah!" I jerked my head around. "My god, Angel! Where the heck are you!" I yell whispered.

_I'm on the edge of the clearing about twenty feet away. I could scream and distract him._

I switched to communicating to Angel through thoughts.

_Yeah, okay, that could work. Can you see me?_

_Uh… sort of. I can see your hair through the leaves, but that's all._

_Um, okay, how about this? How far away is Gazzy?_

_Iggy and him flew off about a hundred feet. They're making their way back in on foot._

I nodded my head, biting my lip in consideration.

_Can you reach him?_

_mmm…yeah, yeah, I can. You want him to do something?_

_See if he can through his voice. Some sort of really strange sound and will make Fang turn around._

I waited as Angel communicated the message.

_Okay, Gazzy's right across from me. He's all ready._

I smiled and got into position.

I leaned back into the trees and snapped a branch in my hands.

That was his cue.

For a second, all was silent, then suddenly the trumpet of a hungry African elephant ripped through the forest.

I crunched myself into a tiny ball then bounded straight out the top of the tree and record breaking speed. I shot over the clearing, wings out, flipping head over heels then aiming straight towards Fangs tree.

He didn't know what hit him.

I landed right on his back, narrowly avoiding being crushed by a tree.

"Ahhh!" Fang fell forward and we tumbled down the hill behind the trees that I hadn't known was there.

We landed hard at the bottom, letting out a little 'oof,' at that last bump.

I was on top of him, my face inches from his. I positioned myself so that as much of my weight as possible was right on him then made a cheeky smile.

He opened his eyes, alert for an assault.

Then he cocked an eyebrow, "Cute."

I laughed and stood up, offering him my hand. I started walking back to the trees, where the rest of the flock was laughing as well.

"Oh my gosh, Fang, you should have seen your FACE!"

"Was that a squeal I heard out of Mr. Macho?"

"Ha, nice one, Max."

"I'm hungry."

* * *

**MPOV**

We all sat around the picnic blanket, everyone quiet and not meeting my eyes.

It was a very sudden change of atmosphere, as if all that fun in the park was just to subdue what we all knew was coming.

I pretended not to notice and served myself some cake to make myself busy.

"So… I thought you guys already had lunch," I stated awkwardly.

"Yeah, we did, we just wanted to…" Nudge trailed off, not sure what do say for once.

I almost sighed. I knew what they were trying to do and it hurt my heart.

"Max, we just wanted to… remind you that- that you can tell us anything," Iggy said, looking straight into my eyes with his muddled blue ones.

"Yeah, Max," Gazzy looked up from his blueberries, "If something's wrong, well, we're your family. We're the ones that you can trust." His big blue eyes filled with a soft sadness that just tugged at my heart.

Angel took my hand from where she sat next to me, tracing the creases and scars. "And when everyone else becomes a memory, like you say they always do, we'll be the ones you won't have to remember because we'll always be there for you. For ever and ever."

But _I _won't always be there for _you_.

Angel didn't seem to hear, she just fingered my hand slowly, a heavy sadness on her shoulders. I guess some thoughts were just so numbing to me that I unconsciously blocked them from her.

I looked back down at my untouched cake, the tears stinging at my eyes. I blinked hard, hoping no one would notice.

Nudge regained some confidence and finished, "So, whatever happened today that made you so sad and-" she took a deep breath "-and hurt, we want to make you feel better and… you need to talk to us Max."

Because when it really comes down to it, we're all we left, just the six of us. Because we're a family. Because when it matters, these five faces are the only ones that I can trust.

My words, all my words.

But this was different. I was so desperate to believe that.

I was protecting them, I told myself, but deep down, in the part of my heart that only they can touch, I knew that I was just protecting myself.

I looked up at all the pure, trusting faces, the faces that, even though they had lived through the worst, seen so much more, experienced so much loss and misery… they were still so innocent in a way.

Then Angel's soft voice flowed into my mind.

_We're here, Max._

The tears were slow at first, so fine I didn't even realize I was crying until my hands came away from my face wet.

I stood up and looked away, embarrassed. Ashamed, guilty, hurt… lost.

"I'm sorry," was all that I could say. But really, it was all that I needed to.

And with that, I ran. Just like I always did.


End file.
